Jharkhand to become a major tourist destination: Raghubar Das

Jamshedpur: 12th July 2016: The state government is all set to make Jharkhand a big tourist attraction. Inaugurating ‘The Kannelite –SakchiVihar’ hotel here yesterday chief minister Raghubar Das said, “The government has a three- tier development plan to promote Jharkhand as a major tourist destinations. It wants to attract not just domestic, but foreign tourists as well and to bring in foreign capital and create new job in the state.”

Congratulating tourism department officials, employees of the hotel and residents of Jamshedpur on their new acquisition, the chief minister said this hotel will set the ball rolling for more hotels like this in the state.

“It’s our priority to make Jharkhand an international tourist hub. We will develop all the beautiful places in the state into tourist attractions. Once this is done, Jharkhand will attract tourists not only from India but from all over the world,” said the chief minister.

“Important landmarks in the state such as Baidyanath Dham at Deoghar, Rajrappa Temple in Ramgarh, Maa Tara Temple and Parasnath in SanthalPargana will be promoted as major tourist attractions,” he said, adding that tourist destinations of state and district level would be taken up in the second and third tier development plans.

Das said, “The state has tremendous tourism potential. It can develop eco-tourism, mining tourism and cultural tourism” he said. He added that the state government would also develop Medical tourism in the state.

The chief minister was happy to inform that several Bollywood personalities had expressed interest in shooting their films in Jharkhand.” A big banner film is currently being shot in the state. It could pave the way for many more. , “We have big plans to develop the Patratu Dam as a tourist attraction like the Marine Drive in Mumbai!

He announced that the government has plans to set up a 200-acre international film city in Patratu in the Ramgarh district of the state.

Das, who was accompanied by state tourism minister Amar Bauri, said that soon after coming to power the government framed a well thought-out tourism policy with details of the infrastructure required for it. It is working now hard to implement it.

Complimenting the Kannelite Hotel, Bauri said it was developed on PPP mode between Kannelite and JTDC and would prove to be a landmark in the tourism sector.

According to the agreement signed between JSTDC and Kannelite, the agency has agreed to pay Rs 71 lakh annually to the state government for the first two years with a hike of 10% in the fee every two years for a period of 30 years.

Built on a stretch of 1.5 acres of government land with an investment of over Rs 6 crore, the hotel, was completed five months ahead of schedule, its Director, Mithilesh Jha said.

”’We have a plan to introduce an attractive tour package to take tourists to interesting spots such as Saranda forest, Dalmaforest, Dimna lake, Chandil dam, Palna dam, Narwa Pahar, Burudih dam and natural waterfalls, he said.

The 30-room hotel with interior design and paintings drawn from the state’s rich art and cultural heritage, will offer 250 types of cuisines, informed Jha.